Gerardo Dottori Three Days Traveling Through the Futurist Essence of Umbria day 3 - Gerardo Dottori Three Days Traveling Through the Futurist Essence of Umbria day 3

View of a square with stone and brick buildings, dark-shuttered windows, and a church with a rose window and bell tower in the background.

Art in Umbria

Gerardo Dottori: Three Days Traveling Through the Futurist Essence of Umbria

Day Three: The Mural Painting Itinerary in Marsciano

Marsciano, an Umbrian town renowned for its production of bricks and terracotta, holds a hidden treasure: Gerardo Dottori's mural paintings, which narrate the beauty and culture of the region. Many of the artist’s works are preserved here, including a votive shrine on Via XXIV Maggio, paintings at Palazzo Battaglia, Villa Cavalletti (formerly Villa Cruciani), and other works in Monte Vibiano Vecchio and Compignano. These paintings, while tied to Futurist decorative motifs, reveal the artist’s deep connection to the Umbrian land, evoking gentle hills, vibrant colors, and naturalistic scenes.

Monte Vibiano Vecchio

Fresco with a central praying Madonna on a star-decorated blue background, flanked by two saintly figures, under a wooden beam ceiling.

Church of Santa Maria Assunta

Gerardo Dottori’s first mural painting, created in 1909, is characterized by a style inspired by medieval and Giotto-like traditions. It features small geometric compartments, symbolic architectures, and starry skies.

Villa Cesari Tiberi

In this fresco, Dottori incorporates elements of modernity, juxtaposing industrial architectures with the image of a farmer in a rural setting. This fusion represents a dialogue between progress and the region's agricultural tradition.

Marsciano

Villa Cruciani (now Villa Cavalletti)

The murals decorating the entrance offer intriguing geometric patterns, while the ground floor is enriched with allegories of the four seasons. The adjoining rooms feature floral motifs and two hunting scenes, all marked by a late Impressionist touch that celebrates the surrounding nature.

Palazzo Battaglia

In this palace, completed in 1925, Dottori combines geometric forms with more traditional decorations. The ceilings of the rooms are adorned with flowers, flights of swallows, and concentric circles, creating an illusion of depth and perspective.

The palace’s façade features a sgraffito design echoing terracotta decorations, set against a backdrop of floral arabesques. The inscription “A.D. LABOR OMNIA VINCIT 1925” is framed in an elaborate style reminiscent of grotesques, symbolizing the artist’s connection to the local heritage.